This country's fractured immigration rules - worsened by hostility, suspicion and political rivalries - are on full display in the recent rush of unaccompanied children crossing the southern border. It's a heartbreaking situation, made worse as detention spots are overwhelmed and angry protests widen.

The wave is obliging federal authorities to ship the detainees elsewhere, a move that is broadening public distrust, shown in the send-them-back protests hurled at a busload of women and children being transferred to Murrieta in Riverside County. While the cases are sorted out, this nation is reminded - yet again - of how poorly it deals with the immigration issue.

After doing virtually nothing for months, Washington is taking notice. President Obama wants to spend $2 billion in a crash effort to boost holding areas, court personnel and enforcement. His team has signaled that many of the youngsters will be shipped back to Central American countries, the primary source of the border crossers. Also, the White House wants to go its own way, snubbing Congress.

GOP forces have seized on the immigrant wave as evidence of the confused, half-baked Obama reforms. A plan last year to stop deporting young immigrants brought to the country illegally as children is portrayed as a source of the northward rush of unaccompanied minors who mistakenly think they may qualify. This blame-pointing goes nowhere, given the Republican refusal to do anything more than talk up border enforcement.

The prime trouble spot is Texas, where thousands of women and children have slipped across. Instead of hiding or evading arrest, they've sought out border patrol agents, believing they'll be allowed to stay.

Adding to the confusion are the border rules. Minors from Mexico can be automatically sent back, but this wave from Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala is handled differently. After 72 hours, the detainees must be transferred to caretakers, social service groups or families while their cases are heard. Complicating any deportation decision are home country conditions where deep poverty remains and crime gangs flourish.

The numbers are overwhelming the system. Since October 52,000 youths were picked up. Border authorities have borrowed quarters at military bases and jammed more bodies into existing facilities.

The wave is felt here. San Francisco schools report a jump in Central American kids signing up for classes. One example: the number of youths from Honduras entering public school rose from 12 in 2010 to 113 last year. Under city and state law, students are not asked about their legal status and can't be refused a seat in the classroom.

There are serious answers on the table. A Senate plan balances border security with a careful path to citizenship for 11 million immigrants here illegally. But it's gone nowhere in the House, where obstructionist Republicans have convinced others in the party not to touch it.

It's a recipe for inaction, a position that will only worsen tensions in an election year. This country - and the thousands of immigrants heading our way - need clearer answers on what to expect on the border.